The Cowboy Says I Do

by Dylann Crush

  Shotgun nudged her nose under his hand.

  “I could keep her during the day and you could take her home at night,” Lacey suggested. “Just like—”

  “Shared custody,” Bodie said.

  “I suppose so.”

  Weird. He’d gone from being single to engaged and sharing custody with Lacey in less than two months. He waited for the panic to seize him, for his gut to clench or his throat to close. It didn’t happen. Maybe it was because the gig was almost up. In just a few weeks he’d be faking I do with his best friend’s little sister. That thought put him on the edge of a panic attack. But not—he realized—because he’d be fake-marrying Lacey. Because after that he wouldn’t have a reason to see her on a regular basis. He’d have to pull that thought out later and mull it over. Now he needed to turn on the charm for the chat with the reporter.

  “Want to finish showing me around?” He stood, Shotgun’s leash back in his hand.

  “Sure. Follow me.” Lacey led him up the stairs to the bedrooms. They’d turned one into a bride’s dressing room, made another into a small conference room, and kept two of the rooms as bedrooms.

  “So you’re going to rent rooms out overnight?” Bodie asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. There’s been talk of running some kind of bed-and-breakfast when there isn’t a wedding scheduled. This lets us keep our options open.”

  Bodie noted the little touches of Lacey that appeared everywhere. Fancy soaps by the sinks, flowers on all of the tables, and the light scent of fresh-baked cookies that seemed to linger everywhere they went.

  “How did you do it?” he asked as he climbed the stairs to the third floor, coming up behind her.

  “I told you, everyone pitched in.” She turned to face him as she neared the top. “You’d be surprised at how everyone’s coming together. I think I finally got to them.”

  He stopped on the narrow staircase, two steps below her. His eyes lined up with her chest.

  “Bodie?”

  “Yeah?” Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze away from the V-neck shirt she had on. His hands itched to feel her soft skin under his fingers.

  “You okay?”

  What a loaded question. No, he wasn’t okay. He had just a few days left to get the cash to Buck before everything he’d been working so hard to save came crashing down around him. Not to mention the upcoming wedding. He’d gone a week without seeing her and he felt like his heart had been ripped out and stepped on. What was going to happen when he had to stand in front of the entire town and pledge to love her till death do us part, knowing he’d never get to kiss her again?

  “Yeah. Just have a lot going on.” He wiped a hand over his chin. A few more weeks. He could handle that.

  “How’s the investigation going? Find out anything new?” Concern creased her forehead. The kindness in her eyes slayed him.

  “Um, getting close.”

  “But no cigar, eh?” She giggled. “Sorry, that wasn’t funny but I couldn’t resist.”

  He shook his head, grateful for the poor attempt at humor for lightening the situation. “So what’s up here?”

  She climbed the rest of the steps with him behind her. It took everything he had to not plant his palm on the curve of her gorgeous ass as he followed her.

  “Potential living quarters. We might need a groundskeeper or event manager to move in if things get really busy.” The hope in her eyes made him wish he could come clean with her, warn her about the threat of Buck exposing her arrest. No. He’d have to eliminate that threat on his own. Tonight. He’d sneak back after dark and see if he could find his granddad’s stash. Anything to keep Lacey’s world from falling apart.

  “You’ve done an amazing job.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “Thank you.” She turned to him, her mouth spread into a smile.

  “Lacey? You up here?” a voice floated up the stairs from below.

  Bodie seized the opportunity to get that kiss he’d been craving. He took her in his arms, dipping her backward, lining his lips and his hips up with hers.

  Her arms clasped around his shoulders, holding on tight. Mouth to mouth, heart to heart, he teased her lips apart, sighing as he relaxed into the kiss.

  “There you are.” Zina huffed as Bodie set Lacey upright. “I see you two have been working real hard.”

  Lacey wiped at her lip, her gaze bouncing from Zina to him. “I was just showing Bodie what we’ve done to the third floor.”

  “Sure you were.” Zina shook her head. “I can’t believe the two of you are going through with this.”

  “Wait, you told her?” Bodie asked.

  “Yeah. You don’t have to pretend to love me around Zina. She knows.” Lacey glanced at the floor.

  “I know and I think it’s one of the stupidest ideas you’ve ever had. You should know better”—she glared at Bodie, making him feel like he’d just been doused in ice water—“both of you.”

  “It’s okay, she’s not going to tell anyone,” Lacey said.

  Bodie looked to the ceiling. “So who else? Your dad, now Zina? Who else knows we’re not for real?” “Not for real.” The words dropped into his gut like a load of bricks, hollowing out everything on the way.

  “That’s it,” Lacey said.

  “Ahem.” Zina cleared her throat. A look passed between the women.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Bodie furrowed his brow. “Aren’t we past the point of keeping secrets?” His heart squeezed tight. He was a fine one to bring that up. He’d been the one keeping the secrets all along.

  “Well, there is the small problem of Adeline.” Lacey’s shoulders rose and fell. “She got so mad at me for ruining her wedding that she’s opening up her own wedding venue in Swynton.”

  “So?”

  “And she’s taken every one of the vendors she lined up with her so we need to find a new band to play the reception.”

  “No big deal. I know a guy.”

  “And she’s trying to convince Samantha to come cover her wedding instead.” Lacey bit down on her lower lip.

  Zina cocked a hip. “I think you should let her.”

  “But then we don’t get the media coverage.” Lacey stepped in front of Bodie and straightened his shirt. “So we have to be extra charming during today’s interview, okay?”

  Extra charming. Sure, he could do that. “When will Samantha decide which wedding she’s going to feature?”

  “She said she’ll let me know by the end of the week. I know I’ve been asking a lot of you, but can we really turn it on today? Pretend we’re really in love?” Her eyes shone.

  “Yeah. I think I can manage that.” He almost leaned in to kiss her again.

  But then Zina whomped them both over the head with a pillow she’d picked up from the couch. “Y’all are asking for it, if you ask me.”

  “Good thing no one’s asking you, then.” Bodie winked at her, ready to play the part of the loving, head-over-heels fiancé. As he followed Lacey back down the stairs, he couldn’t help but think, it wouldn’t take much faking this time.

  forty

  Lacey carefully traipsed down the stairs in her strappy heels. She’d brought clothes to the house so she could get cleaned up here and not have to run home before the interview. If all went according to plan, she’d be walking down these same steps in just a few weeks on her way to marry Bodie in the garden out back.

  He waited for her at the bottom of the ornate staircase, holding out a hand to help her down the last few steps. She took it, not letting go as she joined him and Samantha in the front room.

  “It’s so good to see you again,” Samantha said. “How are the plans coming? I can’t wait to hear all about them.”

  “Should we sit down?” Lacey gestured to the formal sitting room she’d finished with period furniture. An antique sofa sat
in front of the ornate fireplace. Two sets of chairs had been placed on either side, creating the perfect place for conversation. Everything had been donated by folks in town. If this idea didn’t take off she’d have a lot of items to return to their rightful owners.

  Bodie waited for her to sit then nestled close to her on the love seat, his arm possessively resting over her shoulders. She took in a breath, letting his closeness calm her nerves. They could do this. Confident in their ability to reflect the picture-perfectness of a couple madly in love, she smiled at Samantha.

  “Tea?” Lacey leaned forward, grabbing the handle of the pitcher.

  “Sure.” Samantha settled her notebook on her lap. “So how are the plans coming?”

  “Great.” Lacey handed her a glass of sweet tea before leaning back against the cushion, settling into Bodie’s side. “Did you want some tea, babe?”

  “I’m good.” He smiled before brushing her temple with his lips.

  So far, so good. Lacey glanced to Samantha, whose smile proved they were pulling this off.

  “What’s left to do?” Samantha asked.

  “Oh, not much. I just got alterations done on my dress. Flowers have been selected, cake and reception menu were finalized a couple of weeks ago.” Lacey held up a finger for each item as she went down the list. “Photographer’s been paid. We’re in good shape.”

  “What are you serving at the reception?” Samantha’s pen poised over the paper, ready to capture all of the details.

  “Barbecue, of course.” Lacey grinned. “Ido has the best smoked brisket in the state of Texas.”

  “But can you eat that?” Samantha asked, worry lines creasing her forehead.

  “Well, sure, why not?” Lacey asked.

  “She’s got pills”—Bodie squeezed her hand—“for the IBS.”

  “Right. Won’t be a problem.” How stupid could she be to forget Bodie had plagued her with lifelong bowel issues? She grinned up at him. “I wouldn’t want to deprive my hubby-to-be of his favorite.”

  “She’s so selfless.” Bodie ran a finger along her cheek, sending a wave of chills down her spine.

  She shifted her butt on the love seat, ignoring the goose bumps popping up on her skin.

  “And the cake?” Samantha looked up from her notebook. “What did you decide on there?”

  Lacey leaned forward. “White cake with raspberry filling. It’s absolutely decadent.”

  Samantha cocked her head. What now? “I thought you were allergic to raspberries?” she asked Bodie.

  Lacey looked back at him. Allergic to raspberries? Since when?

  “Just slightly.” Bodie turned his most charming smile on Samantha. “We’ll have one layer that’s plain vanilla. Lacey made sure.”

  Her heart thumped so loud she was sure Samantha could hear it from across the room.

  “You two really are meant for each other,” Samantha said. “It’s nice to see two people who love each other so much they’re willing to sacrifice for the other. Not like . . .”

  “Like what?” Lacey asked. Maybe Adeline and Roman weren’t as accommodating as they intended.

  “Oh, nothing.” Samantha waved the comment away. “Do you have the items we talked about? I’d love for Jay to be able to get some pictures of everything before the big day. I’m sure it’ll be so busy, we’d rather get it taken care of ahead of time.”

  “Yes.” Lacey stood, pulling Bodie to his feet next to her. “Our florist should be here any minute with the mockup of the bridal bouquet and the boutonniere. Do you want to sneak a peek at my dress before she gets here?”

  “I’d love to.” Samantha got to her feet. “Lead the way.”

  Lacey almost headed right for the stairs, but Bodie didn’t let go of her hand. She whirled around. “You can’t come with us, sugar pie. No peeking at the dress ahead of time.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise. I’ll wait down here for you, but I’ll be missing you the whole time we’re apart.”

  She rolled her eyes, making sure he was the only one who could see her. “Think you’re laying it on a bit thick?” she whispered.

  “Never.” He grinned against her ear. She could feel his lips lifting into a smile. Then he palmed her ass and gave it a squeeze. “Hurry back, honeybuns.”

  Lacey nipped at his earlobe in retaliation. He chuckled, the rumble in his chest vibrated against hers, making her wish they weren’t standing in the middle of the sitting room trying to convince a reporter that the feelings they had for each other were real when she’d been struggling so hard over the past few weeks to convince herself they weren’t.

  “Right this way.” She pulled away from Bodie, letting her fingers linger in his for a long moment before leading Samantha and Jay up the stairs.

  “You’ve done an amazing job with this place,” Samantha said as she trailed behind Lacey.

  “Thanks. It’s been a labor of love for the whole town. They need something to believe in, something to put their hope in now that the import business is gone.” She led Samantha into the larger bedroom, the one she would have chosen for herself if she’d been staying the night. Dark wood complemented the pale ivory walls. Stained glass windows lined the curve of the turret. Lacey had always wanted to be a princess when she was younger. What little girl didn’t?

  “This room is gorgeous.” Samantha turned in a wide circle. “Is this where you and Bodie will be spending your wedding night?”

  “What?” Lacey reached for the handle of the closet door, glad to have something to grab on to.

  “You’ve got to admit, it’s so romantic.” Samantha jotted notes as Jay snapped photos of the room.

  “It is.” For a moment she let herself imagine what it would feel like to snuggle under the covers of the antique four-poster bed with Bodie next to her. Would he take her fast or slow on their wedding night? How would it feel to have his clean-shaven cheeks nestle between her thighs? The full length of him filling her, like he had before? Like she dreamed about him doing again?

  Samantha cleared her throat. “Lacey?”

  “Hmm?” Pulled from thoughts that she had no business thinking, Lacey focused her attention on the closet. The dress. “You wanted to see the dress?”

  Samantha stepped closer. “Is there a story here? How did you know it was the one?”

  Lacey opened the door, her breath catching in her throat like it did every time she set eyes on her mama’s wedding dress. “It belonged to my mama. She died when I was little.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Samantha’s hand rested on Lacey’s shoulder, offering comfort. “It’s got to be hard for you to wear it.”

  Lacey lifted the hanger from the rod and turned around, holding the dress in front of her. “It is. Or I should say, it will be.” She turned to face her reflection in the full-length mirror. “But it’s also a way of having her with me on my wedding day.” Lacey would have rather worn a white dress from the clearance rack of any one of the bridal shops Adeline planned on visiting that weekend they’d spent in Dallas. But time and budget constraints had forced her to reconsider her options. Wearing her mother’s dress was the economical choice, even though it would wreak havoc on her already raw emotions.

  “You’re going to be a stunning bride,” Samantha said as Jay lifted the camera to snap a few photos. “We won’t publish those until after the wedding. Want to make sure your groom doesn’t see the dress before the big day. You know it’s bad luck.”

  Lacey nodded as she put the dress back in the closet. She needed all the luck she could get to make sure the big day went off without a hitch.

  The sound of someone coming through the front door interrupted her thoughts. Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Lacey? The florist is here,” Bodie called.

  “Ready to see the bouquet?” Lacey turned to Sa
mantha with a smile, hoping with all of her heart that putting her faith in Suzy wasn’t about to bite her in the ass.

  forty-one

  Bodie wanted to warn Lacey before she walked in on the spectacle Suzy had created in the sitting room. But unless he wanted to tempt fate and catch a glimpse of the wedding dress, he couldn’t very well get to her before she came downstairs. Which meant he was on his own with the taxidermist florist.

  “What do you think?” Suzy stepped back to survey her handiwork.

  Displays of silk flowers in every shape, size, and color rimmed the room. Bodie shrugged. “Is this what you and Lacey talked about?”

  “I did take some creative liberties.” She adjusted the ribbon stretching between two horseshoe-shaped floral arrangements. “I wanted to surprise her.”

  “Oh, she’ll be surprised, all right.” Bodie could absolutely positively guarantee that. He took a deep breath and headed back up the steps, hoping he could give Lacey a heads-up on the landing.

  “I think it’s so romantic you’re wearing your mother’s wedding dress.” Samantha’s feet came into view through the ornate wooden railing, followed by Lacey’s heels.

  “Thanks.” Lacey’s voice wavered, laced with emotion.

  “Mind if we poke around the other rooms real quick before we head back downstairs?” Samantha moved down the hallway.

  “Go ahead. I’m going to make sure the florist is set up.” Lacey made her way to the steps where Bodie waited.

  Her mother’s dress? She hadn’t told him she was going to wear her mother’s wedding dress. Why the hell would she go and do a thing like that? The gravity of what they were doing pressed down on him. They might joke and smile and pretend that it was going to be a piece of cake—raspberries or not—to fake–tie the knot. But he had to come clean with her. Tell her that real feelings were getting involved.

  “Bodie?” Lacey met him on the landing. “What’s going on?”

  He reached for her hand. “You’re wearing your mother’s dress?”

  “Yeah.” She looked away, not willing or not able to meet his gaze. “It was free, and—”